Sudan’s NCP drags its feet on National Security Law
By James Gatdet Dak
March 13, 2009 (JUBA) – Sudan’s partners to the 2005’s peace deal signed between the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) have reached a breakthrough this week on review of five laws, according to the Chairperson of the SPLM component of the Joint Executive Political Committee of the two parties.
Riek Machar told the press in Juba on Friday shortly after his return from Khartoum that his committee and that of the NCP headed by the Vice President of Sudan, Ali Osman Taha had agreed and finalized review of laws on Land, Human Rights, Criminal Procedures, Presss and Publications.
He said the reviewed laws would be presented to the Khartoum-based Council of Ministers for approval before they are tabled before the National Assembly for enactment into laws.
The peace deal, known as the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), calls for review or amendment of all the existing laws in the Sudan in order to make them compatible with the CPA’s provisions and the 2005’s Interim National Constitution of Sudan.
The two main peace partners race against time to review and enact more than 20 current national laws before the elections are conducted this year.
The Electoral Commission has yet to officially announce the date for the elections, which according to the CPA should be conducted in July this year.
Machar however said the National Congress Party dragged its feet on finalizing the National Security Law of which draft was about to be finalized in the meeting.
He said the NCP argued that they needed more time to consult on the security law.
Machar said this idea of the NCP delaying the National Security Law, which is seen as vital for the conduct of free and fair elections, seemed to have been influenced by the ICC’s indictment of President Omer Al-Bashir.
He earlier explained that the two parties could not agree on the structure of the national security organ, power to arrest and duration of detention.
He said his committee would go back to Khartoum next week to continue discussions on pending laws including the National Security.
He further explained that discussions on other pending laws among which include Southern Sudan referendum, Abyei referendum and the two respective popular consultations for the people of Southern Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains – all scheduled for 2011 – will also continue in the next meeting.
(ST)